Zeman Willing To Meet CSSD’s New Foreign Minister Candidate Petricek

Prague, Sept 19 (CTK) – President Milos Zeman would meet Petricek if PM Andrej Babis (ANO) brought him, but said he did not discuss the Social Democrats’ (CSSD) nomination proposal of current foreign deputy minister Tomas Petricek (CSSD) for foreign minister, he told journalists after today’s cabinet meeting.

Petricek said on Tuesday, when his nomination for the foreign minister was announced, that he would like to meet Babis and Zeman soon.

Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek expects Zeman to discuss the matter with Babis and said he may do so at their meeting in Lany, central Bohemia, scheduled for October 2.

Petricek attended the cabinet meeting today as a representative of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Babis said.

Babis said he discussed the date of a possible meeting with CSSD chairman and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek, but that it has not been set yet. He added that Zeman was leaving for Germany today and Petricek would go to the United Nations (UN) next week.

The junior government CSSD nominated its MEP Miroslav Poche for foreign minister in a coalition cabinet with the senior government ANO in June, but Zeman refused to appoint him due to his alleged stances on migration. Meanwhile, Hamacek became the acting foreign minister.

Hamacek said on Tuesday that the CSSD would nominate Poche’s former assistant in the EP and current deputy foreign minister Tomas Petricek (CSSD) for foreign minister.